https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-527-A-Quiet-Life-the-Blood-Cloud-Bandits/13026993/
Chapter 528: Enhancing Heaven's Mandate, The Records of the Green Mountain Scroll
Chapter 528: Enhancing Heaven's Mandate, The Records of the Green Mountain Scroll
The one-armed bandit's gaze swept across Qi Yuan and the others, his eyes gleaming with malice.
Several bandits leaped forward, surrounding Qi Yuan, Liu Chudong, and the rest.
Qi Yuan's eyes showed no fear; instead, he appeared relaxed and at ease.
"If my brain was malfunctioning, I'd definitely wonder why they're only killing the men and not the women," he said.
"Nonsense!" The one-armed bandit shouted angrily.
The surrounding bandits, all Mystic Armament Masters, brandished their large blades and slashed at Qi Yuan and the others' horses.
These bandits were considered elite in their own right, serving as squad leaders among the Blood Cloud Bandits.
Dealing with ordinary traveling merchants was a simple task for them.
Liu Chudong's face revealed a look of disgust.
She had always despised these bandits, who were filled with evil.
Following her signal, the two black-robed Judges behind her took action simultaneously.
A sword beam flashed by, instantly beheading the four attacking bandits.
There was an unbridgeable gap between High Mage Battle Masters and Mystic Armament Masters.
Qi Yuan witnessed this scene, and a hint of regret flashed in his eyes.
He hadn't killed anyone, and it felt like a waste.
Although these bandits were weak, even mosquito-killing experience was still experience, right?
Liu Chudong had been paying close attention to Qi Yuan. Her eyes softened, and she said, "Big Brother Qi, you have too much compassion. These people deserve their deaths, and you shouldn't feel sad for them."
She misinterpreted Qi Yuan's regret as sadness.
On the other side, the one-armed bandit's eyes suddenly changed, "Two High Mage Battle Masters? How about we call it quits here?" he suggested, unafraid.
Their identity as Blood Cloud Bandits was obvious.
When traveling, those Armament Masters would usually show them deference and give them some face.
Now, it would be difficult for them to kill the two High Mage Battle Masters, so it was better to call a truce.
Such incidents occurred frequently.
When out in the world, while seeking justice and revenge, it was always better to avoid getting injured.
Hearing this, the Zhao family's young miss looked terrified, and her tears flowed like rain, leaving wet streaks on her face. Her eyes were filled with helplessness, evoking a strong desire to protect her, especially for those with a penchant for 'lower-class men,' who would see her as an object of ruthless abuse.
"Thank you, brave heroes, for your rescue. This old man has prepared a small token of appreciation, please accept it," the Zhao family's patriarch said, bowing deeply.
He offered three thousand taels of silver as a reward.
It wasn't a small amount, but it wasn't excessive either.
"Upholding justice without expecting rewards is our principle," Liu Chudong spoke up, directly refusing the offer.
She didn't need the money.
The Judgment Council didn't lack funds either.
So, she declined without hesitation.
The person she admired the most was the God of Judgment from a century ago.
Hearing this, the Zhao family's patriarch was slightly stunned but quickly broke into a broader smile, "Miss Liu, you have noble principles and are untainted by worldly possessions. Zhao admires you!"
If she didn't want money, she must appreciate flattery.
Liu Chudong nodded, watching the one-armed bandit leave. "What a pity... one got away. Big Brother Qi, with this matter successfully concluded, we should be on our way."
The Zhao family's patriarch and young lady heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
However, at that moment, Qi Yuan spoke up, "It's not over yet."
"Hmm?" Liu Chudong was taken aback.
"There's still an evil person left to kill," Qi Yuan said calmly.
"That person is a High Mage Battle Master, and they escaped too quickly for us to catch up," Liu Chudong mentioned, sounding a bit disappointed.
"No, I'm referring to these two," Qi Yuan said, indicating the Zhao family's patriarch and young lady.
Qi Yuan's gaze fell upon Old Master Zhao and Miss Zhao.
Liu Chudong was momentarily stunned.
Miss Zhao's face paled, and she was about to burst into tears again.
At this moment, one of the Judges who had been silent spoke up, "Before we arrived, they were already screaming for help, and they even revealed the connection between the bandits and Bloodhand. They were afraid that the bandits would let us go."
Another Judge added, "When we were fighting the bandits, they tried to escape. It was only after they saw us gaining the upper hand that they decided to stay."
"No, it's a misunderstanding, sir! I didn't think that much, I was just scared and called for help," Miss Zhao sobbed.
Old Master Zhao quickly spoke up, "Xingyue, I'm sorry for the trouble we've caused. It's our fault..."
They hurriedly apologized, their attitude extremely low.
Liu Chudong narrowed her eyes, deep in thought, "It's normal to lose one's mind in a state of panic."
"Chudong, if we were just ordinary people, then... we would be the ones dead," Qi Yuan said calmly.
One of the Judges spoke up with a faint voice, "We came here without revealing our presence, just like ordinary people, but they screamed for help. What else could they be thinking?"
Old Master Zhao and Miss Zhao's faces turned pale, and they cried out, "It's a misunderstanding!"
Liu Chudong hesitated.
"If Shen Lin were still here, we would know what they were really thinking," she sighed.
These words were all subjective judgments.
Even if they were true, they were still speculations.
She had believed Qi Yuan and the Judges, but without evidence, she couldn't convince herself.
However, as soon as she finished speaking, a flash of light passed by.
Old Master Zhao and the Zhao family members' heads fell, their eyes filled with terror and disbelief.
Liu Chudong's gaze fell upon Qi Yuan, and she couldn't believe what she saw, "You killed them?"
She was a little dazed. Didn't Qi Yuan spare even ants?
How could he have killed two people?
"I'm gentle with kind ants, but I don't go easy on evil people," Qi Yuan said righteously.
His expression made Liu Chudong feel like a stray animal had become his family.
She looked at Qi Yuan deeply, and a faint lump formed in her heart, but she took a deep breath and said, "Big Brother Qi, you acted rashly. You should have investigated before killing."
However, since the people were already dead, she didn't bother to pursue the matter further.
But her heart was filled with other thoughts. Had she educated the kind Qi Yuan into becoming a radical Qi Yuan?
...
At the Judgment stronghold.
Chi Changle's eyes were filled with anger, "Now, one-third of the suffering in Dingbo Prefecture is probably caused by these Blood Cloud Bandits.
Wang Kong nodded, "In Dingbo Prefecture, who doesn't know that the Blood Cloud Bandits are backed by Bloodhand, and by Dingyuan Prince?"
In the original Dingbo Prefecture, even if people didn't eat meat every night, and bandits and robbers weren't as rampant as they are now.
Dingyuan Prince came to suppress the bandits, but he was actually targeting the Liu family.
"If I were the head of the Liu family, I would send troops to wipe out the Blood Cloud Bandits right now!" Liu Chudong couldn't help but speak out in anger.
Chi Changle shook his head when he saw this, "The court sent Dingyuan Prince to suppress the bandits. Other than him... who dares to do it?
Suppress the bandits? That's going against the court!"
When Wang Kong heard this, his face turned dark, "The officials are colluding with the bandits, but... every once in a while, they present bandit heads as military achievements."
Liu Chudong clenched her teeth even more when she heard this.
In a 1619 book, there's not a single mistake!
She had already heard about this.
The Blood Cloud Bandits killed, looted, and beheaded merchants and travelers, collecting their heads and presenting them to the generals under Dingyuan Prince.
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. It's scaring Qi Yuan," Chi Changle said.
Rather than saying it scared Qi Yuan, it's better to say that bringing it up only caused a knot in his heart that couldn't be untied.
After all, with the current strength of the Judgment, could they change the situation?
No.
"If Shen Lin were still here, with the crimes of the Blood Cloud Bandits and Dingyuan Prince, a hundred years ago, they would definitely face the judgment of the God of Judgment!" Liu Chudong said with frustration.
Qi Yuan casually said, "Without Shen Lin, we still have Judgment. As long as we work hard, our days will get better and better."
At the same time, in the Blood Cloud Bandits' stronghold.
The one-armed bandit knelt on the ground, his face filled with fear, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
"Didn't you capture anyone?"
The young man with long hair spoke, quietly playing with a delicate bone blade in his hand.
This bone blade was his proudest creation, crafted from a beautiful woman's bones.
(End)
"Young Master... They were rescued by a group of people, including two Earth-Rank Armament Commanders. I was no match for them!" The one-armed bandit knelt on the ground.
This man was the adopted son of Liu Zhuan, the bandit leader.
Even the leader of the Blood Cloud Bandits had to give him face.
As a mere low-level leader, he was at the mercy of his opponent's whims.
"Are they Li Jiangjun's men or someone else?" Liu Zhuan asked, his voice calm.
"I don't know," the one-armed bandit shook his head.
A dangerous glint flashed in Liu Zhuan's eyes. "If you don't know, there's no use keeping you alive!"
The bone blade in his hand flew towards the bandit, who clutched his neck as blood flowed from the wound, his life force gradually fading away.
The Armament Commanders nearby witnessed this, unperturbed by the sight.
Liu Zhuan stood up, wiping the blood from the bone blade. He turned to a burly man beside him, his voice steady, "Seventh Elder, how was the harvest this time?"
The Seventh Elder's face showed a troubled expression, "Young Master Liu, this time we only have three hundred... Human Heads."
"Human Heads" was a special term used by the Blood Cloud Bandits and the Distant King's army, referring to the heads of enemies that could be exchanged for military merits.
"Only three hundred? That's too few." Liu Zhuan's eyes deepened, "In half a month, you'll lead a group to slaughter Xiaoliang Camp."
The Seventh Elder's face paled slightly, "Xiaoliang Camp is not far from General Li Zhuang's army. If we slaughter them... General Li Zhuang will lose face."
"That's exactly what I want, for him to lose face. How dare he even touch my woman!" Liu Zhuan's eyes flashed with anger, and he kicked the table, revealing his short temper.
However, the anger quickly passed, and Liu Zhuan's face softened, "I'm not unreasonable. The heads from Xiaoliang Camp will be a perfect gift for General Li Zhuang's military merits."
Hearing this, the Seventh Elder broke into a cold sweat.
These officials truly had dark hearts.
"If we don't teach him a lesson, he'll think he owns this world just because he and his peasant gang conquered it? My great-grandfather fought for this world!" Liu Zhuan exclaimed.
...
"We've only found two hideouts, it's too slow."
Five days passed, and Qi Yuan was taking it easy.
The drones he sent into the mountains had discovered two hideouts of the Blood Cloud Bandits.
The main hideout was yet to be found.
Otherwise, Qi Yuan would have already gone to eliminate the bandits.
"It's fine, no rush." Qi Yuan wasn't worried.
His gaze fell upon a string of copper coins, and his eyes flashed with curiosity.
The coins were stained with sweat.
These coins were given to Qi Yuan by Wang Kong.
Today, Wang Kong was unloading goods at the dock when he accidentally bumped into a wealthy merchant's steward.
The steward, accustomed to being arrogant, threatened to sink Wang Kong.
At that moment, Qi Yuan secretly helped Wang Kong, causing the steward to accidentally sink himself.
Wang Kong knew Qi Yuan had helped him, so he offered his savings as a token of gratitude.
These were minor matters.
What surprised Qi Yuan the most was that his weak Heaven's Mandate actually improved due to this incident.
"Hey, do you know when Heaven's Mandate increases?" Qi Yuan took out the Divine Wood Token and asked the staff of Thorn Blood.
He felt that the staff of Thorn Blood was like an AI, always ready to answer.
"My name has the character 'micro,' but I'm not named 'Hey.'"
Indeed, in Qi Yuan's eyes, the staff of Thorn Blood sometimes pretended to be human and spoke with emotional colors.
However, after saying this, they would always return to the topic.
"This... There are generally three reasons.
First, you devoured the Heaven's Mandate of other Heaven's Mandate holders;
Second, you obtained some special treasures.
And third, you changed the original fate of some people.
However, not all changes to people's fates qualify for an increase in your Heaven's Mandate. Otherwise, wouldn't everyone with Heaven's Mandate try to change others' fates?
Only some special people, under specific circumstances, can achieve this."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yuan understood.
These special people and events were the kind recorded in history books and asked about in exams.
Could it be that by saving Wang Kong, he had changed fate?
"How special?" Qi Yuan asked.
"Any event recorded in the Green Mountain Scripture is considered special."
"Wait, what does that mean?" At this moment, Ji Wuyun, who had been lurking, spoke up with a questioning tone.
Her mind raced with a million thoughts.
The Green Mountain Scripture recorded special events, and changing them could increase one's Heaven's Mandate?
Were these special events... yet to happen? Only unfulfilled, upcoming events... could qualify?
But how could the Green Mountain Scripture record future events?
(End of Chapter)
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